At Exeter, with societies a key part of university life, top of the festive social calendar is the annual Christmas dinner. These dinners involve indulging in three course meals, bolting mince pies and ditching the mandatory social fancy dress for black tie. Whilst this is oh so festive, the prospect of finding a date to escort you to these dinners can be a little daunting. Don’t worry; Her Campus is here to help! Follow these top tips and you most definitely will not be standing alone underneath the mistletoe at the end of the night.
1.    Friend or Potential Love Interest
Before making any decisions, it is important to decide whether you would like to take a friend or a potential love interest. If you decide you want to take a close friend then asking him as a date to the dinner will be easy. Simply explain that there are going to be lots of attractive girls and he will turn up suited and booted. If the girls don’t take his fancy, than the three course meal certainly will! With a friend, you are guaranteed good company and this also means that you can appreciate any new talent without feeling too guilty!
2.    Take Initiative
If you decide to go for a potential love interest, do not just sit on your bottom and wait for him to ask you. Take initiative and ask him. It might not a leap year, but this should not stop you taking the plunge and asking the boy yourself- we do live in the 21st century! Boys love girls who are confident, so embrace your inner-goddess and go for it! Unless, you are asking Scrooge, HCX are sure that the boy will feel honoured to embrace the Christmas spirit with you. After all, this is a time when “love is all around”.
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3.    Use Your Friend’s Boyfriends
If your friend has a boyfriend, use him! The boyfriend might be worried about heading to the dinner on his own, so suggest that he bring a friend to be your date. This method is always particularly effective when you know for a fact the boyfriend has hot friends! By using the boyfriend, you can bag yourself an easy date without the hassle of actually going out to find one yourself. It’s Christmas, so there is no harm in showing some good will, helping both your friend’s boyfriend and yourself out by going on a double date!
4.    Do a Secret Santa with Dates
If you have a big friendship group this is a fun one to go for! Secret Santa involves picking names out of a hat and delivering an anonymous gift to the person that you pick. In HCX’s Secret Santa, the surprise gift is a boy! With your group of friends get the boys to pick each of your names out of a hat and then wait until the night to see who has picked you. This will guarantee you a date and saves any embarrassment that might arise from asking the boy you fancy face-to-face, as it makes it more casual. If you don’t get the boy you hoped for, then at least the boy you fancy will be at the event and who know what will happen after a few mince pies! Besides, the element of surprise is very entertaining and will add a bit of Christmas sparkle to the night!
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5.    Be His Date at His Christmas Dinner
Whilst it is scary for a girl to find a date for a dinner, it is also pretty terrifying for the boys of Exeter to find a date. Chances have it the boy you want to ask is in a different society to you, so perhaps offer to be his date at his Christmas dinner. It will take a lot of pressure off of him to find himself a date and once again is a crafty way of making sure that he accepts the invitation!
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HCX hopes that these tips come in handy, but if all else fails, be proud and brave the Christmas dinner alone. After all, you might just pull yourself a Christmas cracker!